Ball



MY 27 1943 J. H. GRADY 2,325,128

BALL

Filed Jan. 22, 1941 @im I iball, without detracting from Ythe-ball orrendering 'manipulate or handle.l

Patented July 27, 1943 e T; Y. L

1 :BALL

l ,s011111 n. Grady, st. Louis, M6., assigner .te J. nf GradyManufacturing CompanySt..Lcuis, M0.,

a corporation of V'Missourih'f Appiieatienuaimary 22, 194i, serial No.375,43??v 5 (cig 273760)?. j' Q n N l Claims. This invention relatesprimarily to -baseballs, althoughV one feature-of mypresent inventionconsists of a novel method for producing Yand applying a Cover to aball. Y One object of my'invention is to provide-a baseball that ismoredurable than the conventional baseball and Valso less expensive tomanufacture.

Y Y Another object V'is to provide a baseball whose cover is constructedina novel manner that inf creasesthe' life or period of usefulness ofthe the appearance of dicult to control,

it more Y Another object is to dispense with the luse vof threadstitches or sewedseams in constructing the cover-of a baseball. y l lThe conventional baseball kconsists oi asubstantially solid core or`body portion of spherical form, and acover for said body portionmade upoil-two or more fitted pieces of horse hide or other. suitable sheetmaterial stretched Vtightlyover the core and joined together by seamsforV.thread stitches.- One inherent objection to such a'ball is that thedurability or life of the ballA is-dependent'upon the strength of thethread seams or stitches that `join the cover pieces together-..-

Another objection is the relatively high cost of sewing the cover so -asto produce a ball whose cover is perfectly smooth, free from-r-wrinkles,and in intimate contact withA the entire'surface of the core or bodyportion of the ball. j

' Figure 1 is a top plan View ofabaseball embodying my invention; and Y1 Y Y Figure 2 is a fragmentarylsectional view, on an enlarged scale,ofthe moldV employed in the operation of applying the cap strip Yto thecover pieces. Y Y

-In manufacturing my improved baseball the core or body portion A isvproduced ,by 'the procedure commonly used in the manufacture oftheconventional baseball. The vcover for said core A Yis formed from aplurality of cover pieces l of conventional'shape, constructed usuallyof horse Y hide, and provided with edge portions |2401V reducedthickness, producedin any way, as, for example, by skiving orchanneling. After an adhesive has been applied to the cover pieces l orto the cover pieces and the exterior of the core A, said cover piecesare applied to the core and smoothed down, so that the opposed edges ofthe cover pieces are separated by a-joint that extends in an irregularline over theouter surface of the ball. The core A, with the coverpieces I thereon, is then placed in a mold x, provided .on itsexteriorwith a groove or depression :c that cors has molded onto :same

ably; the cover pieces l is as easy to catch, throw, or 50 responds *tothe shape or'outline of thejointbe' tween thecover pieceslandwhichis-disposedA in Aalignment with said joint. Thereafter, latex, `or someother suitable elastici or resilient plasticor j semi-plastic substanceis supplied to the groove fior' depression ai in the-,inner surface ofthemold mi soiasv to -form-a cover-strip or cap strip that 'laps overand adheres tightly to the'Y opposed edge d pieces I,1thus hiding therawedgesot same rand incorporatingjinto the n cover of the ball a fingergrippingmeans, or non- `slipping element B thatl extends in an irregularportions of the cover line'overthe surfaceof the ball cover.Y Preferareproportioned so -tha't the joint between the adhere" -to the core i Athe opposed edges of'said cover pieces.

The 1 cross-sectional shape and dimensions Aof the capl strip'B mayvary,b'ut in order to produce: i a baseball that closely si ulates the4conventional sewed'cover baseball, I groove .r inthe mold tionsv2,

:c with transverse indentathe 'appearance-of thread stitches,V `andwhich perform one` function ofi-the thread stitches of the conventionalbaseball, ii. e., they constitute slight protuberances" or projectionson the exterior 'of the cover of the ball thattend to 'prevent the-usersnngers from slipping on the cover when the'ball is caught, thrown, ormanipulated while in use.V r' Y to the elimination ofthe sewingoperation in pro# more` durable than "the conventional baseball,inasmuch las there'are. f

ducing the cover,l and it is no threadstitches in the cover that areliable to break when the ball is struck with a bat orsubjected toabrasion when it is in use. to the desirable characteristics justmentioned, my improved ball presents practically the same appearance asthe conventional baseball, vand it conventional baseball, due to formedofelastic or resilient tends in an irregular line over material that"eX- y Y edges ofv same will be ofV sufficient width vto permit thelatex` or other'mold#Y able substance to-Completely ll said -,joint andofthe ball,` asshow'n 'inf Fi'gure`2, thuspr'oducing a' baseball` whosecorev e' an element that iillsfthefv joint between the fitted coverpieces and laps over 5 prefer Yto provide the4 which, in the moldingyoperation, form, f transverse ridges 3 on the cap strip B that presentIn additionl manipulate asthe the fact that the cover has incorporatedin same kan element the surface of the ball, and which is 'of suliicientsize, shape andk v,pieces secured by anadhesive e L saidbody Y portion'and f. posedjon the exterior oisaid body portion, and aA vents theusers fingers from slipping on the cover.

My invention is applicable to the manufacture of various types and kindsof balls, and from what has been stated previously, it will beunderstood that my broadidea consists simply in applying thecover piecesto thebody portionof the ball` and'securing them to the-body portion bymeans of anadhesive, and subsequently, closit being preferable to use aplastic or semiplastic substance of an elastic or resilient character.It is also preferable to skive,featheredge,

pieces before they are cemented ontoA` the body portion of the ball, orsemi-plastic joint-covering material into the Vcover, of the ball YWhilethe covered core or body vportieri of theball is encased in a mold;

and Y incorporate the plastic Y Y Y e 2,325,128 slightly roughened orresilient surface that preing thejoint orA joints between the cover`pieces. by applying a plastic or semi-plastic substance f to the opposededge portions of the cover pieceS, 'g

aresilient molded or channel the opposed edge portions of the coverHaving thus described my invention, WhatflY .claim as newV and Patentis:

1, VA baseball, comprising asubstantially solid .body portionoispherical form, tted cover pieces surrounding the exterior of same andsecured to Athe exterior of said body portion Yby'an adhesive,

the opposed edgesoi said cover pieces being dis- .posed ontheexteriorof-said bodyV portion, and a capstrip 'of plastic materialcoveringthe joints between the cover pieces andl attached in over`4lappingerelation.to the edge-.portions of said Ycover pieces-1 f2.Arbaseball, comprising a substantiallysolidV `'body`portion ofsphericaliorm, rshaped cover to the exterior of ,having their edgesdiscap strip oi elastic, moldedmatrial attachedto the opposed edgeportionsofvsaid cover pieces in :overlapping relation with said edgeportions; A A baseball, comprising a sphericaljbody por- "tion of;substantially solid construction, leathercover pieces secured by'anadhesiveto said body l.portion and provided with reduced edge portionsdisposed on the exterior of saidbody portion,

" (andiacap strip of molded resilient;materia1-l1 4ing the jointsbetween saidcover pieces and lap- ,pingover and secured to the reducededgeipor- Stionsroi said cover pieces.v

k .4J-i. baseball provided witha spherical body .portion ofsubstantially solid construction, cover pieces tted smoothly Voversaidbodyr pOltion ,3,

and secured to same by an adhesive, the opposed edges of said coverpieces being disposedon-the exterior of said body portion, and a canstrpof latex attached to said cover pieces in overlapping relation with theopposed edge portions of vsaid cover pieces. Y,

5, VA baseballprovided with aspherical,body

desirer to secure byA Letters Y 6. 'A baseball provided with'a sphericalbody portion Y jpieces of horse hide secured by an adhesive to said bodyportionwith'their edge portions arranged 'on `the exterior of said bodyportion, and

of substantiallyrigid construction, cover substance arranged inoverlapping relation with the edge portions of said cover 4pieces overthe joints vbetween the same and constructed so asto simulate-a sewedseam.

7. A baseball provided with a spherical body portion of vsubstantiallyrigid construction, cover pieces of horse hide secured by an Vadhesiveto 'the exteriorV of said 'bodyportion and an `elastic molded substanceattached to the exterior of the .edge portionsrolsaid cover pieces overthe joints between the same and constructed so as, tosirnu- V being ofVreduced thickness.Y

y opposed relation on sive, the edges of `late a sewed seam, the edgeportions of said cover pieces located'underneathrsaid molded substance8.,Alball-provided with a coverfmade` up of a 'plurality of tted piecesof sheetmaterial secured tothe body portion of the ball byV an adhesiveand arranged with their edge vportions disposed von the exterior of said`body portion, and

aclosurelor the -joints'between said cover pieces made of resilient,molded material arranged in overlapping relation with the opposededgeportions ofV said cover pieces. Y

9. Alball'provided with plurality. of `itted pieces of lsheet materialsecured to the vbody portionof the ballby an adhesive,

the edges of said vi'ltted pieces being arranged in tion of thegbalLanda'lclcsure for the joints betweensaid cover piecesv madeof elastic,-rnolded material arranged ,over the opposed edge portions of -said`cover pieces, thejedge portions of said coverA pieces overlapped bysaid molded'substancebeing of reduced thickness.l v

Y l0, Aballgprovided witha coverinade up o a plurality of shaped piecesotsheet material secured tothe body portion o f the ball by anadhesaidfpieces being disposed on the exterior ofl said body portion andbeing spaced apart so as to form joints and a closurefor the jointsbetween .said cover pieces made of elastic,

molded Vmaterial arranged in overlappingrela- Vtion with the opposededge portions of said cover pieces, and constructed so asto simulatethread stitches.

1 JorritA HGRADY.

a cover made up of a theexterior of the b ody` por-A

